


Hol vagy?

by SpicyBiscuit



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: 1940s, Alternate Universe - World War II, Edward Nygma Has Bad Parents, Edward Nygma Has Mental Health Issues, Falling In Love, Gay Oswald Cobblepot, Hungarian, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Period Typical Attitudes, Period Typical Bigotry, Period-Typical Homophobia, Slight Language Barrier, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyBiscuit/pseuds/SpicyBiscuit
Summary: When the soldiers finally came, Gertrud knew that her and her son weren't safe anymore. The best hope they had was Gotham, the city in America that Gertrud had visited years beforeWith the threat of war rising in America and the pressure of his father to start a family, the last thing Edward expected was to make friends with a Hungarian refugee.
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Comments: 5
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

Oswald didn't even know what was happening when the soldiers arrived. People pushed and shoved in a frenzied panic, screaming and crying as gunshots pierced the air. Soldiers yelled in a foreign language, barely audible over the cries of terrified refugees. Oswald stumbled below deck and was forced further into the boat, hardly giving him time to adjust to the situation. His heart pounded, his leg was close to giving out or locking up from the winter cold, and the claustrophobic conditions weren't helping his ragged breathing. He sat on a bench and curled into himself to try and take up as little space as possible as more and more people crowded in. The gunshots continued, but as the boat began swaying and moving, they slowly drifted into the distance. He took deep breaths to try and calm himself, looking around for his mother. She was right beside him but...where was she now?

"Anya?" Oswald called out, not seeing her anywhere, "Anya?" 

A few women turned their heads to look at him, but no one paid much attention. He was a 31 year old man calling for his mother, and all the other families had young children. They might have cared if he was a child, but not for someone who was clearly an adult. He got up and limped around looking for her, but there was no trace she had ever been on the boat. Panic set in as he continued to search, asking if anyone saw her. But no one did. 

Oswald only stopped searching once his leg refused to let him move anymore, sharp pain pulsating through the muscle, causing him to sit back down. Tears stung his eyes as he hugged himself, still looking around in case she was nearby. His mother was his world, his only friend. His grandparents didn't think much of him considering he was born out of wedlock. His cousins thought he was strange and never paid much attention to him. Even with his family eventually welcoming them into their home, when Gertrud quit her job to take care of Oswald after his leg broke, he felt like they didn't want him around. It felt like he was always in the way or they thought he was worthless because he wasn't able to move around properly for weeks, and because he was unmarried still. And once he could walk again, no one was able to ignore the way his permanent limp made him waddle. They called him Pingvin, for obvious reasons. 

The boat creaked as it sailed away, her passengers crowded together cold and scared. Even with the amount of people present, the lower deck was freezing. Oswald shivered and pulled his coat further around himself, looking at the other passengers. Old people, children, young women. All sorts of people here seeking safety across seas.

Oswald thought of his own reasons for fleeing Hungary. His mother was old, and he was "handicapped", although, he suspected that she also knew of his preference for men, and had heard stories, whether true or not, of homosexuals being taken away too. It was likely neither would be spared if the soldiers came. And, with their family's roots in Judaism, Gertrud had feared they would not believe they weren't Jewish. The only place they could be safe was away from their home, away from Germany and it's allies. Away from the soldiers who took, stole and killed. 

When the soldiers finally came to take away thousands of Jewish people to Ukraine, Gertrud knew they were no longer safe. And she was scared. Scared of what would happen if the soldiers came for them too. And scared of what fate would be sealed for them if they were taken next. What scared Oswald was that hardly anyone seemed to notice how wrong it was. People being forced from their homes by soldiers, and their own people, their neighbours and peers cheered as they were taken away. Those who didn't share the joy stayed silent. If his family was next, no one would've stopped to save them. 

Wiping his eyes, Oswald sunk into the bench and tried to calm himself down. He didn't know much English, only the basics of what his mother taught him. What was he going to do in a foreign country with hardly any knowledge of the language? And no money?

As he reached into his coat pocket to look for his father's pocket watch, his fingers grazed a folded piece of paper. Strange...that wasn't in there before. Oswald pulled it out and carefully unfolded it, wondering what it was or who put it there. But, as he read it, he realised it must have been his mother who slipped it in before they were separated. This must have been where they were going, who they were going to find.

Elijah Van Dahl. Gotham City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short, but the next one will be much longer. If there's ever any mistakes (either in the writing, historical aspects or translation) please don't hesitate to correct me. 
> 
> __
> 
> Hol vagy? - Where are you?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some homophobia/homophobic langauge

_Gertrud watched as the boat sailed away from the docks, leaving hundreds of frightened families on shore to the fury of the German soldiers. The air was thick with noise; gunshots, dogs barking, screaming, shouting in all sorts of languages, and yet Gertrud was not that scared. She had made sure Oswald had gotten on the boat, he was safe now. He would find Elijah and start a new life -a better life- in America. If he would survive then part of her would live on too._

_The soldiers barked orders at them, and the ones who understood German began to move into a line, the others following their example. Gertrud fit herself between a mother holding her son, and a young man. She took steady breaths to stay calm, holding her head up proudly as her mother taught her._ _As the soldier walked down the line, a gunshot would crack through the air when he picked out those who weren't fit for the journey, or those who weren't desirable enough. Their bodies fell the floor, quickly staining the snow red. Elderly, disabled, adults...children._

_The soldier eventually got to her, and paused, looking her up and down, before staring her right in the eyes. She stared back defiantly, despite the anxiousness now creeping through her veins. Was this it? Is this how she died? By some stroke of some luck, he made a noise and moved onto the man beside her, and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It wasn't clear how much longer they were stood on that beach for, before the soldiers ordered them to walk back up the road they had come from._

_They didn't know it at the time, but dying on that shore would've been better than the fate they would meet when they reached their destination._

__________

Ed was becoming increasingly frustrated at his father's comments about him. Yes he was 25 and unmarried, but that didn't mean anything. He was very much interested in a woman, she was just already dating someone. That didn't make him gay. His father always had that kind of suspicion about him, for whatever reason, and made sure to hammer his homophobic views into him early. With both his father and society constantly expressing how bad homosexuality was, Ed never even had those thoughts before. So, every time his father brought up a girlfriend, it felt more like a threat than an option.

His father always loved to control his life as much as possible. It started when he was young and still pursued late into his adulthood. He was a violent man. Violent and commanding. Truthfully, Ed was scared of him. Scared of the beatings, scared of the not so subtle threats, and scared to be around him. You never knew what he would do next, how far he'd go to save his reputation and bloodline. Being a cop worked in his favour for the most part -he had a few common threats that were very likely in his position. Send Ed to Blackgate, or, more likely in normal circumstances, Arkham. 

Ed suffered from several mental problems, that his father was acutely aware of. He made sure to remind Ed that he wasn't normal, and he needed to sort himself out or he'd end up in Arkham too. Because normal people don't have panic attacks over not being allowed to tap their fingers. Normal people don't hallucinate and interact with a different version of them. Normal people don't act like a freak. 

Arkham was also where he would end up if his father became any more convinced that he was gay. Many end up in Blackgate for "sexually deviant" crimes, but most ended up in Arkham to be cured. The very thought of being tested on gave Ed the chills. The more and more his father threatened him, the more it fed into his mental health problems. He suspected it caused him to come off too strong to many women he was interested in, which scared them off or made him look too desperate. But it also caused him to force himself into situations that weren't all so great just to convince himself he wasn't the disgusting failure his father thought he was. Forcing himself into those situations were compulsive, but felt more like a paradox. If he didn't complete the compulsion he got nervous and distressed, but if he did it he just felt more like shit afterwards. 

Before he was finally able to move out, away from the abuse, neglect and belittling, his father decided to control his path in life once again. A job at the GCPD. Where he worked. Of course, he was expected to become a police officer just like his father, but Ed had his eye on something else, something more interesting. Forensics was a relatively small and new department of the GCPD, and when Ed had heard about it he immediately did what he could to get in. Of course, his father was not happy that he chose the "easier" option instead of following in his footsteps. But Ed didn't like the police before, and that opinion only grew once he worked alongside them. Men abusing their power, and being real assholes to anyone they didn't like. Nice. That explained why his father was the way he was. 

Now here he was working on a fascinating murder case, being trusted with the evidence to help solve the crime. It was like one of those murder mystery board games his family played. Ed was intelligent and had a good eye for detail, so his job was never too hard, which made it fun. 

Compiling his notes together, Ed made his way down the stairs to the two detectives to tell them about the evidence he collected for the new case. He had figured out what the weapon was just from the wound. "Evening Detectives"

"Good evening, Ed. What do you have?" Jim asked. Ed liked Jim more than his partner. He was kinder and far more polite than Harvey, and he would even answer his riddles fairly often. 

"What's strong enough to smash ships but still fears the sun?" 

"Can you just speak English for once?" Harvey rolled his eyes in frustration, leaning back in his chair to look at Ed with boredom. 

"Ice. The wound is similar to that of an ice pick, as the shape of the wound and the indent of a handle in his skin suggest. There's only a few places that would sell or use ice picks, I've made a list" 

Jim took the list from Ed and looked through, before looking back at him, "Uh...thank you. You can go" 

With a nod, he left to go back upstairs and collect his coat, before walking over to the records annex to see Kristen. To his disappointment, when he opened the door she was surrounded by her brute of a boyfriend and his equally terrible friends. As he turned to leave, Tom Dougherty noticed him and called him back.

"Hey, Riddleman!" 

_What a stupid nickname. He couldn't think of something better?_

"Yes, Officer?" Ed replied politely, as he turned back to look at them.

"Got a girlfriend yet?"

"What? I-"

"I asked. Have you got a girlfriend" He repeated, this time slower as if Ed was stupid. He was the smarter than all of them put together, it was laughable they would treat him any less. 

Ed didn't respond, only clenched his jaw in frustration as he looked at Kristen. She lowered her gaze and moved slightly so she was partially hidden behind her boyfriend.

"Didn't think so. Is that why you're creeping on my girl?" 

_What?_ "I'm-I'm not-"

"Save the bullshit. Kristen tells me what you keep doing. Harassing her, sniffing her, giving her riddles. Do us a favour and stay the hell away from her" The fake friendliness from before had fallen, and Tom only stared down Ed threateningly, as Ed helplessly gaped, trying to find a response. His face burnt in embarrassment and horror as he tried to catch Kristen's eye. This wasn't true!

"I-I...It was never my intention I'm sorry" He finally managed to say, fiddling with his jacket anxiously. Not now. Not now. 

_**"Stop being pathetic, stand up to him! Be a man!"**_ His inner voice screamed, but he couldn't do it. His heart was beating frantically and it was getting hard to breath. He was scaring her. Oh god, how did he not see that? 

"Oh, and you better find a girl soon, Nashton. People might think you're queer" Came the final taunt, and several officers around him started laughing. Ed turned and quickly fled the annex, throwing on his coat on and left, wandering into the cold winter's night. 

______

His cheeks felt fuzzy as the bitter cold of Gotham nipped his skin, snow blinding his vision and clinging to his hair as he tried asking people about this Elijah Van Dahl. Either no one could understand what he was trying to say, they didn't care, or they weren't willing to help. He had been in the snow for hours and not one person tried to help. Every part of his body was numb, mainly his face and feet, but it didn't bother him as much as the people he had encountered. They were rude and selfish, leaving him to feel hopeless. 

The longer he stayed out in the snow, the more his right leg hurt. His knee and ankle, in particular, severely ached, regardless of whether he was moving or not. His limp became more pronounced the longer he was exposed, and strain put on it when he stood or walked was only making matters worse. So, after a while, Oswald was forced to sit on the floor with his legs outstretched, just hoping someone would help soon. He rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm himself, hunching his shoulders as he waited for someone to come by. 

He wasn't sure how long he was sat there before he saw a police officer heading his way, he immediately forced himself to his feet and began to hobble away, ignoring the sharp pain through his leg. He knew he was here illegally. And he didn't trust law enforcement anymore, both due to the soldiers at home and the view Gertrud had of them his whole life. As he glanced behind him to see if the officer was following him, he suddenly he collided into something. 

"Ow! Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" 

Oswald spun to look at whoever he crashed into, and saw a very handsome man looking down at him through glasses. He couldn't tell of the sudden heat in his face was a blush or just the cold. "Sorry. I must go" 

However, the man looked at him then at the police officer, and directed Oswald into the closet alleyway. He didn't know exactly why he was running, but he knew officers liked picking on people during the night. And a man who looked homeless and didn't sound American would be a perfect target. They were corrupt like that, he had learnt, but they got away with it. He looked at Oswald, who was leaning back against the wall, watching the street anxiously before looking at Ed. 

"My name's Edward Nashton" He held his hand out.

"Kapelput Oswald!" He smiled then frowned realising his mistake, and tried again as he reached over and shook his hand "Oswald" 

"Nice to meet you, Oswald" Ed smiled back, growing more curious over the stranger. His accent was unique, and so was his name. "Where are you from?" 

"Magyarország!" Oswald smiled, then hesitated, trying to remember the right word before he pointed at himself "I come from Hungary!"

Before Ed could ask anything else, Oswald pulled the paper back out of his pocket and showed him "You know who this is?" 

"Yes, the Van Dahl's are an old family here"

"You know where?" 

"No...sorry" Ed frowned seeing Oswald's hopeful smile fade away, "Why do you need to find him?"

"My mother came to find him. I do not know where she is, and I do not know who he is. But she wants me to find him" 

Ed sighed. Oswald was trying to find someone that he didn't know about, in a foreign country. He couldn't communicate that well, and probably had no money, so what would happen to him out here? As Ed looked at the shorter man, he tried to decide what the best plan was. Oswald was shivering, his shoulders hunched, pale face glowing red across his cheeks, nose and ears from the cold, and his lips were already a blue tint. It was a bad idea to let a stranger come home with him, but he couldn't leave Oswald out on the streets in this weather. He was already half frozen, and would die if he didn't find somewhere to shelter. "Do you have a place to stay? To sleep?"

"Ah...no? I just get here. From boat"

"I'll take you home with me. Come on" 

Oswald wasn't so sure about going home with a stranger, but he didn't really have any other option. He was freezing, hungry, and in pain, and had no idea where else he would go. Besides, this Edward was the first person who was kind enough to help him. And he was attractive. 

Oswald slowly nodded, and followed Ed back out of the alleyway. They walked for a while, silence falling between them as Ed lead them home. He glanced at the other man, noticing the waddle-like limp he had, and the faint winces with every step he took. His eyes travelled down his leg and noticed that his right leg appeared to be locking up from the cold, and Oswald was struggling to put any weight on it. Ed tore his eyes away and surveyed the area. They were almost at Grundy street, they were almost there. 

As Ed looked away, it was Oswald's turn to look at his new friend. Ed had dark brown hair that was neatly brushed to the side, flecks of snow caught in the dark strands as they walked. Black rimmed glasses sat on his face, drawing attention to his sharp cheek bones. He was taller than Oswald, who's cheek came up to his shoulders, and Oswald was surprised at just how long his legs were. He kept thinking of his eyes, warm, sad, chocolate brown. His heart fluttered slightly as he forced himself to look away. America wasn't any different to Hungary, he wasn't allowed to openly have these feelings here or anywhere. With a sigh, Oswald pushed his thoughts away and focused on getting to Ed's house. He shouldn't risk the generosity of another with forbidden feelings that wouldn't be returned. 

They eventually made it to 805 Grundy street, where Ed quickly let Oswald in and put the heating on. He rubbed his hands together to try and bring back some sensation, before turning to the stranger, "Should I make tea? It should warm us up" 

"Yes, please" Oswald responded with a smile, following Ed's example and taking his shoes, coat and scarf off, before lingering by the door unsure what to do. Ed put the kettle on the stove, before walking to his closet and pulling a blanket out for Oswald. He hesitated, glancing back at him, wondering if he had spare clothes. There was no luggage on him, he only appeared to have the clothes on his back. The blanket would be no good if his clothes were wet. 

"Do you have spare clothes? Anything to change into?" Ed asked. Oswald frowned and shook his head.

"Lost things at dock. With my mother"

"You can have some of my clothes. They'll be big on you but...well it's better than nothing" 

He wasn't sure if Oswald understood most of what he said, but the shorter man just smiled and nodded, "Thank you. Very kind" 

Ed pulled out some spare pajamas for Oswald and lead him to the bathroom for him to change, before walking back to the kettle as it began whistling to pour their tea. Once he made their drinks, he placed both cups on the dinner table and went to collect his own pajamas that sat on his bed. With them tucked under his arm, he waited for Oswald to reappear so he could change.

It didn't take too long, luckily. As Oswald came back and smiled at him, rolling the sleeves past his wrist so they didn't hang over his hands, Ed felt his heart skip a beat. Why...why did that happen? He shook the thought away and took Oswald's clothes from him, walking back past the kitchenette where he kept his laundry line, before reconsidering. Oswald' clothes were dirty, and quite frankly smelt of dampness, something he probably caught from the boat. It would be better to wash them than to dry them. Ed collected his washing bucket, and threw his clothes in after checking the pockets. They were empty, except for the paper, a locket, and a nice pocket watch. He got back up and walked to Oswald, handing him his items back. The other man quickly moved his hand to them as if he was scared they would vanish, and Ed walked to the bathroom to change.

This was a bad idea. A terrible, terrible idea that would surely ruin everything. Two men living together, no matter the intentions, was always bad. But he knew he couldn't leave Oswald in that alley. He couldn't leave him alone to the elements, in a foreign country. Something brought them together tonight, but what for? 

As Ed changed into his pajamas, he tried to force himself to relax. He would just have to come up with a plan to fix everything, before this destroys everything. Keep Oswald staying here a secret, find Elijah, everything goes back to normal. He only hoped it would be that simple. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mentions of child abuse

Ed came back in and sat with Oswald, wanting to get to know him more. So far, all he knew was his name, where he came from, why he was here and that he had lost his mother. He thought Oswald was very interesting, especially with his name and the fact that Ed had never met a Hungarian before. Ed had always been interested in other cultures, it was among the many things he would research on his days at the library when he was avoiding going home. But he had never really learnt anything about some European countries like Hungary. He had also heard on the radio that Hungary was on Germany's side, so he was interested in what it was like to live in a country on the opposite side of the war.

And so Oswald told him about home, the things he loved about it, the things that changed when the war started, and about his mother. It was mostly hard to understand, seeing as he didn't speak English very well and didn't know the words for a lot of the things we was trying to say. When that happened, he got frustrated and began gesturing until it seemed like Ed understood what he meant. The more he spoke, the more interested Ed became. The accent and language was unique to him, especially since he never really came into contact with many foreign people. Gotham had many immigrants, but Ed never interacted with any before today. He suspected it was influenced by his father's prejudice towards anyone who was different, something that Ed was attempting to reverse. 

After a while, Ed decided to cook them some dinner. Considering Oswald had only just got off the boat a few hours ago, he figured that he hadn't eaten in a while, and Ed hadn't ate since lunch. As he grabbed some potatoes and began cooking them, he heard Oswald's confused voice from behind him, "You cook? Not your wife?" 

Oswald wasn't against men cooking, but he was mostly brought up with traditional views. His mother didn't think he should be in the kitchen until he reached adulthood, when she realised he'd probably never get married. From there she decided he needed to learn how to cook to survive, and to pass on the family recipes. Oswald had enjoyed cooking with her, and he suspected she enjoyed the extra time with him too. He just thought Ed's partner would do that when she gets home. A man like him surely had a girlfriend or wife, right?

"Oh- no I'm not married. I have no woman in my life yet" 

"Why not? You are kind, and very handsome. Good husband, very lucky" Oswald responded, to which Ed frowned and shifted uncomfortably. Was it different in Hungary to America, where Oswald was allowed to say these things, or could he be...? No. No Ed was overthinking it. Of course their cultures were just different. He would have to explain that it wasn't acceptable to say that to another man, especially if he was going to live here. 

"You uh...you can't say things like that" Ed looked over his shoulder at him, earning a confused tilt of the head, "People will think you're...queer"

"Queer?" Oswald repeated with more confusion. He hadn't learnt that word. His friend huffed, pushing his glasses up his nose looking away, now getting uncomfortable to even have to explain it.

"Two men in love. It's wrong. It's disgusting, isn't it the same in your country?" 

There was silence as Oswald pulled a face, then looked at his reflection in his tea when Ed turned to look at him again when he didn't reply. He wasn't disgusting for loving differently to everyone else...love worked in mysterious ways. If he was attracted to men, then there was a reason for it. His mother agreed with him -love was never a mistake. "Yes, we do not accept this either" He finally responded in a strained voice, "They come for them...like the others"

Ed nodded as a response, but his eyes lingered on the other. Oswald didn't sound like he actually agreed with what he just said. Why was that? To be honest, he wasn't sure he wanted to know why. Silence fell between them for a while, before Ed turned away and kept an eye on the potatoes. Neither spoke for a while, until dinner was ready and he sat down to eat. It was then that he sighed and looked at Oswald, who was blowing at the potato to try and cool it down. 

"There's things you can't do here, and although you said it's the same at home, I need to warn you. If people think you're a homosexual, you will be locked up. And then they will come after me. So please, just be careful" 

Oswald just stared at him, head cocked to the side slightly, "Why would they come for you? They want me"

"Men shouldn't live together. They will decide we were together, and both of us will suffer. I mean, they will get that idea if they realise you're staying here, so you need to lay low. I can't have people know you're here" 

The other smiled sadly. They way Ed had said that made it sound like he didn't want him around. He understood the fear of people finding out and to be persecuted or jailed for it. He lived with that fear for most of his life, even more so since the war began. But Oswald couldn't tell if Ed was actually like him, or if he was just scared to be perceived that way. "Don't worry, friend. Once I find Elijah, I will go" 

That made Ed pause. He had just met Oswald, but he already liked him. Did he really want his new friend to leave so fast? It's not like he had anyone else except Lucius, who he hardly spent time with despite working with him. Strangely enough, despite only knowing him for a few hours and the awkward conversation they had a few minutes ago, Ed didn't want him to leave. But it would be wrong to keep it from him after he promised he would. 

"I didn't- I didn't mean I don't want you here. I just mean...people will get the wrong idea because they're quick to judge" Now he felt foolish and guilty for implying he didn't want him here. But, much to his relief, Oswald just chuckled and smiled at him.

"I get it. I understand" 

Once they finished their dinner and talked for another hour, Ed decided it was getting late and that they should go to bed. Oswald looked like he was about to drift off anyway, so it would do them both some good. 

"You can have my bed" Ed yawned, grabbing a blanket and a spare pillow heading to the small couch. 

"No, no, it's fine. It's your house" 

"Oswald, it's ok. You deserve a comfortable place to sleep, and it will be better for your leg. Please" 

Oswald stared at him with a frown, before slowly nodding and walking over to his bed. He climbed under the duvet, and looked over at Ed as he made a bed on the couch. When Ed turned the light off and layed down, Oswald called out "Good night", and both tried to go to sleep. Oswald was relieved to have something warm and soft to sleep on, instead of the hard wooden bench in the boat. He hadn't really slept properly since he sailed away from that shore, away from his mother. It was hard falling asleep on the boat, especially with the pain in his leg and the sorrow from loosing her. With no windows on the lower deck and lack of sleep, he wasn't even sure how many days it took to sail here. Exhaustion caught up to him, and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

It took Ed longer than his friend to fall asleep. It wasn't that the couch was uncomfortable (It _was_ comfortable, though his legs were too long for him to stretch out like he preferred to do), it was just that his mind was racing far more than it usually did which made it hard to relax long enough to fall asleep. He was used to it -his brain never really seemed to switch off, which often made it hard to sleep- but tonight was different. Anxious thoughts flew around, all stemming from today. The pros and cons of Oswald staying here, his feelings about him, Tom Dougherty's threat and what he said about Kristen. It was too much. Too much had happened in one day, and now he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it.

 _ **"Do you like Oswald? Of course you do, after all I do"**_ He eventually heard himself say from somewhere beside him, _**"You're not planning on taking him to Elijah are you?"**_

"I promised him I would. Besides, father would be upset if he found out about this" 

_**"Oh grow up Ed, stand up for yourself! You're a grown man! Who cares about what your daddy thinks about you or your friends? You're allowed to be your own person, you're allowed to have friends. Stop letting him control you!"** _

"You know I can't, he can make our lives hell. He can hurt us, or them. I'm not letting either one of us end up incarcerated at Blackgate or Arkham!" Ed whispered, trying not to be too loud. What would Oswald think if he woke to his new friend arguing with himself?

**_"You're pathetic. They make you happy, and they actually like you! No one else does. I know you like Oswald as much as you like Foxy-"_ **

"Lucius" He corrected with a blush. The nickname was a play on Lucius' intelligence, but Ed had quickly began overthinking it and stopped calling him it out of fear it would be taken the wrong way. 

_**"-so why would you let him go so fast? Who else makes you feel this way hm? So are you really that desperate for approval from your father, that you'd get rid of him as soon as you get the address?"**_ He looked at his other self, who he called Riddler, and sighed as the other gave him a look. _**"Take what you deserve"**_

Ed sighed "I can't...he was told to find Elijah. Why should I..."

Soft humming made him trail off. The tune was rather familiar, a bedtime lullaby he had heard a few times. Oswald was humming it shakily, in between soft sobs and sniffles, hugging the covers close. It seemed clear to Ed that he missed his mother, which felt rather odd to him. His own mother didn't love him at all, and with what Oswald had told him he knew that his friend was actually cared for as a boy. It almost made him envious. However, at the same time, he felt bad for him. It must be hard to just suddenly abandon the life you had before, and leave behind everything you knew just to survive. And then to loose the only person you had ever loved, and the only person who loved you...

He couldn't imagine such a thing. The more he listened to the humming, the more he wanted to comfort him. The lullaby must be of some importance, so Ed decided he wanted to give his friend some more familiarity. He decided he would leave as soon as the stores open for the morning. 

______

Ed didn't have many friends. For the most part, most people hated him for being unusual and socially awkward that they ignored or avoided him, so he wasn't able to connect with anyone. And those he did form a friendship with weren't accepted by his father. He had to hide his friendship with Lucius Fox because God forbid he be friends with a black man. Lucius was smart and skilled at his job, a perfect friend for him. But Ed had to ignore him around other people because he was too scared of his father. He assumed it would be the same if he found out about Oswald. He wouldn't accept a poor, unemployed Immigrant living at his son's house, especially another man. He was too much of a bigot for that. He would hear the accent and broken English and immediately treat him like he was stupid, but Ed knew Oswald wasn't stupid. 

His father wanted a son just like him, despite the fact he loathed Ed. For years Ed thought this was just the way parents treated their children, until he realised that none of his classmates were treated so poorly. None of them came in with bruises. None of them hid in the library until late in the evening to avoid going home. And none of them feared their father as much as Ed did. He hated his parents for not loving him as he saw other kids were, and he hated them both for ruining his life. If someone finally explained that Ed was the way he was because of how he was treated, his father would just laugh and deny that beating your child had harmful affects. Hitting your child was legal, and not seen as wrong, but what his father did was not. It was assult. 

Ed often believed he was fine by himself, that he preferred being alone. Until he met Lucius and realised he liked having friends. He liked having someone to talk to and to be there for him. And even if he did ignore Lucius unless the were alone, he still cared for him and would miss him if he was gone. So, having Oswald around was also something he knew he would miss rather quickly. Riddler was right, he couldn't let him leave just yet. Not when he found someone interesting who he liked and who liked him back. Maybe it was selfish to do so, but he would come up with ways to justify his actions. For now, he just wanted Oswald to feel more at home, and to do that he needed that vinyl.

Early that morning, Ed got dressed and headed into town to a records store to try and find the lullaby. He spent a while searching, wondering if the song would even be sold anymore since it wasn't that popular anymore. It was a pleasant relief when he found it at the far back, down on one of the lower shelves. After buying it, he walked back home and found Oswald still fast asleep, which was perfect since Ed wanted to surprise him. He played the vinyl, sitting down at his small piano and began to play along. It didn't take long for Oswald to stir at the sound. 

"That song" He heard from behind as Oswald sat up and rubbed his eyes wearily, "You know it?" 

"Yes. It's not that common to hear in Gotham, especially not now. But it was a lullaby that's popularity has declined over the last few decades. I was honestly surprised to find it still in stock" Turning to Oswald, he saw that he seemed half asleep still, and it didn't look like he understood most of what he said. He looked ready to pass back out. Instead, he yawned and threw the blanket around him before getting up.

Oswald walked over, the blanket draped around his shoulders, and sat beside Ed moving to place his fingers on the keys. Ed played the chords, while Oswald played the tune on the higher keys. Both sang along to the song. It interested him that Oswald was singing in his own language. It didn't flow the same, seeing as some words were longer and there were more words in Oswald's version, but it was definitely the same. He stared at his new friend, eyes drawn to the soft smile on his face, the way his eyes were shut peacefully yet he made no mistakes in his playing, and the softer tone as he sang fluently in his mother tongue. Black hair fell across his forehead and grazed above his eye, a contrast to his pale skin, which Ed noticed the soft brown freckles dusted across his cheeks. He hadn't realised he was staring until Oswald sang the last line, and grinned opening his eyes, turning to look at Ed. The smile lit up his entire face, and Ed's heart fluttered at the sight. 

"I...Before I sleep, every night my mother sing this to me. Even until I lost her...and now she's gone" Tears pooled in his eyes, the smile fading far too fast, "Now all I have are memories...I...I miss her so much" 

And then it happened. Oswald suddenly broke down into tears, pulling the blanket further around him as he cried. It was...strange. Ed had never seen a man cry openly, and he had no idea what to do. As he reached out and rubbed his shoulder, Oswald threw his arms around Ed and pulled him close, burying his face in his shoulder. Ed froze, immediately tensing at the touch. He didn't really like people touching him, and he was definitely not big on being hugged by another man. But, he pushed away the urge to shove Oswald off him, and slowly returned the hug, rubbing his friends back to try and comfort him. They sat on the piano bench for a while, the apartment silent except for Oswald's pained sobs. It felt weird, and yet despite only knowing each other for less than a day, it wasn't as uncomfortable as one might suspect. 

Oswald gripped the back of his jacket harder attempting to calm down, but the bottled up grief and misery was too much for him to cope with. He had lost her, the only person in the world who loved him, and the only person he loved. He had tried repressing his emotions for far too long, and now they were out it was hard to plug it back in. Oswald never believed in the idea that men shouldn't cry as his mother had always taught him it was ok to show emotions. But he knew other people weren't taught the same. So he was glad that Ed wasn't ridiculing him right now. Perhaps it just showed that he cared for him already, which was something Oswald was grateful for. At least Ed was here for him now...at least he had someone else. 


End file.
